Couple denied insurance pay out

A BUDERIM couple who had their dream retirement home destroyed in a landslip have again been denied a payout by their long-time insurer.

John and Susan Miller said yesterday that Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency informed them on Wednesday that their appeal against an earlier decision to reject their claim had been turned down.

Suncorp Group-owned APIA said the Millers’ claim had now been lodged for an internal review but the couple are not confident of success and plan to take their case to the Insurance Ombudsman if APIA again rules against them.

While the home was insured, the Millers’ policy does not cover landslips.

The couple abandoned their 15 Durham Crescent hillside home – now condemned by council after slipping five metres down the hill – just before Christmas after major slippage caused by heavy rains made it unsafe.

The couple are faced with the bleak prospect of getting nothing for the hillside home they bought four years ago for $595,000.

They then spent $80,000 renovating and landscaping the home.

They have also been forced to find tens of thousands of dollars to have the home demolished.

Mr Miller said yesterday that he had “lost all feeling of optimism at this stage”.

“I think they’re (APIA) putting unreasonable demands on things,” he said. “I just think they’ve used a loophole to try and get out of honouring the claim.

“They said they don’t cover landslides, but it’s rather a broad term.

“I don’t feel very well towards them at all, to be frank.”

The Millers are renting a home in Buderim and face being left “financially embarrassed”.

Mr Miller said he was holding up well, but his wife was “getting a bit fragile”.

“It’s taking its toll,” he said. “The worst thing is it (the house) was left seven weeks before APIA made a decision.

“The whole thing deteriorates in that time … so I think they’re rather negligible in what they’ve done.”

An APIA spokeswoman said the officer reviewing the claim had told Mr Miller on Wednesday he would get an update next week.